Filing cabinet construction

ABSTRACT

A filing cabinet construction of a longitudinally extending bin type arrangement supported above the floor and with an open mesh or grid bottom for supporting the contents and providing substantially universal adjustment of stationary and pivoting filing compartment and filing material dividers. The mesh or grid bottom is additionally effectively self-cleaning, and cooperates with certain contents dividers having depending projections to provide maximum adjustability or lateral spacing of the dividers in the cabinet and maximum pivoting thereof for easy, rapid and convenient access to the contents, particularly when the contents are relatively large sheets such as newspaper and advertising mats and copy. The grid bottom further cooperates with the stationary and pivoting dividers to provide for maximum longitudinal adjustability of the dividers in the cabinet.

United States Patent 11 1 Cusker 1 Nov. 6, 1973 FILING CABINET CONSTRUCTION [76] Inventor: Patrick J. Cusker, 5 W. Grand Ave, Emmme' Pau-l FOX Lake, L 60020 Att0rneyEdward L. Benno [22] Filed: May 15, 1972 [52] U.S. Cl. 312/183, 211/184 A filing cabinet on ruc ion of a longitudinally extend [51] Int. Cl A47b 63/00 ng in yp rr ng m n pported above the floor [58] Field 01' Search .Q 312/140, 117, 287, nd wi h n op n m sh or gri bottom for supporting 312/l83; 211/181, 184, 43, 133, 51 the contents and providing substantially universal adjustment of stationary and pivoting filing compartment [56] Referen s Cit d and filing material dividers. The mesh or grid bottom UNITED STATES PATENTS is additionally effectively self-cleaning, and cooperates 2 26 840 11/194 B r ma n 21mm UX with certain contents dividers having depending projec- 2'855258 M1958 5 21 8 X tions to provide maximum adjustability or lateral spac- 3269'553 8/1966 211/184 ing of the dividers in the cabinet and maximum pivoting 2:868:39] 1 1959 Sides 211/184 thereof for easy, rapid and convenient access 10 the 3,413,053 11/1968 Feathe n 312 194 x contents, particularly when the contents are relatively 3,047,349 7/1962 Powell 312/287 large sheets such as newspaper and advertising mats 1,991,030 1935 Schimmel 3 /2 and copy. The grid bottom further cooperates with the 2,592,467 4/1952 Reeves r 312/193 X stationary and pivoting dividers to provide for maxig 3 mum longitudinal adjustability of the dividers in the e 2,014,516 9 1935 Beddingfield 211 1's4 cabmet' FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 7 Chm-s, 7 Drawing Figures 446,440 l/l948 Canada 312/193 v FILING CABINET CONSTRUCTION BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION There are many known forms and constructions of filing cabinets, bin types, horizontal shelf types, and drawer types, all of which to one degree or another are suitable for filing various materials, and most com monly letter size papers. Large drawer type filing cabinets are also known for the filing of relatively large sheets such as engineering orarchitectural drawings or prints. However such cabinets are generally unsuitable for newspaper and advertising businesses which require that newspaper and advertising mats or copy in a wide range of sizes be conveniently stored or filed for easy, rapid and repeated access to the filed material and of-' tentimes by many people at the same time. As deadlines must be met, the pace and use of the material becomes hectic. Further in such businesses, constantly and widely varied volumes of the material in groups and sub-groups, require that group and subgroup dividers be constantly and widely shifted or adjusted if an efficient filing system is to be maintained.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Reductions to practice of the present invention have proved that the present invention represents a more universally adjustable, economical, and efficient filing cabinet construction for its intended purposes than filing cabinet constructions presently known in the art.

The primary objects of the present invention are to provide a filing cabinet construction for the filing of material of a wide range in size and particularly sheets of material such as newspaper or advertising copy in which the material is easily filed-for rapid repeated access thereto, in which the pivoting dividers are easily pivoted for substantially open access to desired filed material and the pivoting and stationary dividers are easily laterally and longitudinally adjusted for groups and sub-groups of filed material of varied size and volume, and in which convenient access to the filed material may be had by many people at the same time.

The foregoing objects are accomplished in the present invention by a bin type filing cabinet construction in which the filing cabinet is substantially longitudinally horizontally arranged and supported above the floor. The bottom of the cabinet comprises an open grid which supports the filed material and which receives the lower ends of the dividers for maximum pivoting and adjustment of the dividers. To this end, each of the pivoting dividers or paddles, as they are called herein, is provided with a pair of projections depending from the lower edge thereof in a spaced apart relationship. The projections are of a size so that they may easily be inserted through selected openings in the grid bottom to adjust the spacing between paddles and the cabinet walls, and in any adjusted position will readily pivot DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a filing cabinet constructed according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view of the structure shown in FIG. 1 to show the cooperation of the pivoting paddles and stationary dividers with the cabinet and particularly the cabinet bottom;

FIG. 3 is an end elevational view of the structure shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the structure DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The present invention contemplates various embodiments such as a single-sided or double-sided cabinet construction. The drawings show a double-sided cabinet and the cabinet is therefore symmetrical about a vertical plane through the longitudinal center axis of the cabinet. It is further contemplated that the end panels of the cabinet may take various forms such for example as being more closely shaped to a transverse cross sectional view of the cabinet. Further, the cabinet doors or cover panels may be omitted.

vThe cabinet may be made in any desired length to include a selected number of longitudinally arranged filing compartments. The embodiment as shown in the drawings comprises a pair of longitudinally spaced apart end walls 10 which support the remainder of the cabinet in a raised position above the floor and at a convenient height for a person in a standing position at the cabinet. A center or back wall 11 extends in a vertical position between the end walls 10 and is secured thereto by any suitable means. A pair of transversely spaced apart side walls 12 are also connected between the end walls 10. The side walls 12 are angled downwardly and inwardly from each side of the cabinet as may be seen in FIGS. 1 and 3. The upper end of the cabinet comprises a top panel 13 which is horizontally positioned between the end walls 10 and over the center wall 11 at a convenient height for temporarily receiving material to be filed or otherwise worked with by a person in a standing position at the cabinet. The top walll3 is substantially narrower than the cabinet depth provided between the center wall 11 and the side walls 12 for easy access to the interior of the cabinet by a person in a standing position at the cabinet.

The bottom wall 14v of the cabinet is of an open grid or mesh construction. One suitable form is a wire mesh having square openings of about one quarter inch on a side. The invention contemplates other forms for the bottom wall 14 which present a substantially perforated or open grid surface for the easy falling of dust or other debris from the cabinet, to provide for proper support of the filed material, and to properly cooperate with the filing paddles and stationary dividers. The bottom wall 14 is secured by any suitable known means between and to the end walls 10, the center wall 11 and the side walls 12.

The interior of the cabinet is longitudinally divided into a plurality of filing compartments by a number of stationary dividers such as dividers 15 shown in FIG. 2. Any suitable means such as slotted retention strips 16 are horizontally secured to the center or back wall 11 and the side walls 12 to removably support the upper ends of the dividers 15. The lower marginal edge of the stationary dividers 15 are provided with a pair of spaced apart depending projections or pins 17. The pins 17 will enter open spaces in the grid bottom wall 14 to hold the divider 15 in a vertical position in any selected location longitudinally of the cabinet. The dividers 15 are normally spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the width of a paddle 18. The width of the paddles '18 is determined by the width of the material to be filed. The invention contemplates that some of the filing compartments and paddles 18 may be of a greater width than others. The described means for vertically securing the dividers 15 provides for different selected filing compartment widths or for different longitudinal positions of the filing compartments. Because of the defined construction'of the bottom wall 14, the paddles 18 are easily shifted or moved longitudinally of the cabinet with any shifting of the dividers 15 longitudinally of the cabinet.

The paddles 18 in addition to having a width slightly less than the distance between appropriate dividers 15, have a height substantially equal to the height of the dividers 15. The height of the dividers 15 and paddles 18 is determined by the height of the material to be filed in the cabinet.

The upper edge of each paddle 18is provided with an integral upwardly extending handle and indicia supporting means 18a.

The handle member 18a is preferably positioned at an angle to the plane ofa paddle 18 so that any indicia on the member 18a is easily viewed by a person in a standing position at the cabinet. That angle may be generally described as inclined upwardly and toward the center wall 11 of the cabinet. The indicia supporting means 18a may be formed'at different positions along the upper edge of the paddles l8.

The lower edge of each paddle 18 is provided with a pair of integral depending projections or pins 19. The pins 19 are positioned in a spaced apart relationship on the lower edge of each paddle 18, and as many may be seen in FIG. 5, the pins 19 will enter open spaces in the grid bottom wall 14 to hold the lower edge of the paddle 18 against movement transversely of the cabinet. The cooperation of the pins 19 and the bottom wall 14 will permit substantial pivoting of each paddle 18 about an axis directed generally along the lower edge of each paddle 18. In reductions to practice of the invention the aforedescribed arrangement has been found to provide a unique and convenient arrangement for easy filing and access to relatively large sheets of material such as newspaper or advertising mats or copy. If the material is filed in each subgroup between paddles in an order with the most current material adjacent the front side of a paddle, merely flipping that paddle rearwardly quickly exposes the most current material on the front side of the paddle.

FIG. 7 shows an alternative embodiment in the construction of the paddles 18, and that alternative is the addition of a relatively small-material filing means comprising channel members 20 mounted on the upper forward side of a paddle 18 to receive an envelope 21. The envelope 21 has an open upper end and the side and bottom edges thereof are slidably received within the channel members 20. The sides and bottom edges of the envelope 21 may further be accordian-pleated. In the alternative embodiment of the paddles 18, the envelopes 21 provide convenient storage or filing for relatively small papers or other material within the larger filed material grouping or sub-grouping provided by the paddles 18 in the cabinet.

The invention further contemplates that the center or back wall 1 1 be provided with card holders for carrying cards 22 to indicate major groups of filed material within each filing compartment.

The filing cabinet may also be provided with doors or panels 23 for closing or otherwise sealing the open sides of the cabinet. Each of the panels 23 are preferably pivotly. connected to the upper edge of the side walls 12. It is not necessary that each panel 23 span one filing compartment. The panels 23 may conveniently span two or more filing compartments. The outer upper edge portion of each panel 23 is provided with handle means 24 for manual pivoting of the panels 23. The handle means 24 may include locking means for locking the panels 23 in the closed positions. The side walls 12 are provided with clips 25 for re'leaseably holding the panels 23 in the completely open position downwardly and against the side walls 12.

Having described the invention, it is to be understood that the preferred embodiments can be changed by one skilled in the art within the spirit and scope of the hereinafter following claims.

I claim:

1. A bin-type filing cabinet of substantial length comprising, a back wall of substantial length, a front wall of substantial length, end walls secured between the ends of said back wall and said front wall, a bottom wall formed as an open grid surface and secured in the lower portion of said cabinet between said back, front and side walls, a plurality of stationary dividers, means for securing said stationary dividers in said cabinet above said bottom wall and in vertical planes transversely of said cabinet and in selected spaced apart positions longitudinally of said cabinet, a plurality of paddles, each of said paddles having at least a pair of spaced apart projections depending from. the lower edge thereof, said projections being of a length and circumferential dimension capable of being. projected through and below transversely and longitudinally selected ones of the openings in said grid surface of said bottom wall, said projections further having a circumferential dimension sufficiently smaller than said openings to permit said paddles to be manually pivotable between said stationary dividers toward and away from said front and back walls of said cabinet, wherein said means for securing said stationary dividers in said cabinet comprises means on said front and back walls of said cabinet for holding the upper opposed side portions of said dividers in selected positions longitudinally of said cabinet, and integral projections depending from the lower edges of said dividers, said integral projections being of a size capable of projecting through the openings in said grid surface of said bottom wall to hold the lower edges of said dividers in selected positions longitudinally of said cabinet, said bottom wall comprises an open mesh material, and the upper edge of each paddle is provided with integral handle and indicia supporting means.

2. A filing cabinet as defined in claim 1, wherein said last mentioned means comprise an indicia supporting plate positioned at an angle to the plane of said paddle to substantially present the face of said plate to a person in a standing position at said cabinet.

3. A filing cabinet as defined in claim 1, wherein said end walls support said bottom wall substantially above any floor surface carrying said cabinet.

4. A filing cabinet as defined in claim 3, wherein said front wall is secured in a plane inclined downwardly and inwardly of said cabinet.

5. A filing cabinet as defined in claim 4, wherein said cabinet includes a top wall positioned in a horizontal paddles include filing envelopes removably carried on the upper front side thereof for filing relatively small materials within the grouping of filed material provided by the paddles. 

1. A bin-type filing cabinet of substantial length comprising, a back wall of substantial length, a front wall of substantial length, end walls secured between the ends of said back wall and said front wall, a bottom wall formed as an open grid surface and secured in the lower portion of said cabinet between said back, front and side walls, a plurality of stationary dividers, means for securing said stationary dividers in said cabinet above said bottom wall and in vertical planes transversely of said cabinet and in selected spaced apart positions longitudinally of said cabinet, a plurality of paddles, each of said paddles having at least a pair of spaced apart projections depending from the lower edge thereof, said projections being of a length and circumferential dimension capable of being projected through and below transversely and longitudinally selected ones of the openings in said grid surface of said bottom wall, said projections further having a circumferential dimension sufficiently smaller than said openings to permit said paddles to be manually pivotable between said stationary dividers toward and away from said front and back walls of said cabinet, wherein said means for securing said stationary dividers in said cabinet comprises means on said front and back walls of said cabinet for holding the upper opposed side portions of said dividers in selected positions longitudinally of said cabinet, and integral projections depending from the lower edges of said dividers, said integral projections being of a size capable of projecting through the openings in said grid surface of said bottom wall to hold the lower edges of said dividers in selected positions longitudinally of said cabinet, said bottom wall comprises an open mesh material, and the upper edge of each paddle is provided with integral handle and indicia supporting means.
 2. A filing cabinet as defined in claim 1, wherein said last mentioned means comprise an indicia supporting plate positioned at an angle to the plane of said paddle to substantially present the face of said plate to a person in a standing position at said cabinet.
 3. A filing cabinet as defined in claim 1, wherein said end walls support said bottom wall substantially above any floor surface carrying said cabinet.
 4. A filing cabinet as defined in claim 3, wherein said front wall is secured in a plane inclined downwardly and inwardly of said cabinet.
 5. A filing cabinet as defined in claim 4, wherein said cabinet includes a top wall positioned in a horizontal plane and secured to said back and end walls, and the longitudinal front edge of said top wall terminating substantially inwardly of the upper edge of said front wall.
 6. A filing cabinet as defined in claim 5, and door means for closing the upper open front side of said cabinet, said door means pivotally connected to the upper edge of said front wall and pivotal to engage the longitudinal front edge of said top wall in a cabinet closing arrangement.
 7. A filing cabinet as defined in claim 1, wherein said paddles include filing envelopes removably carried on the upper front side thereof for filing relatively small materials within the grouping of filed material provided by the paddles. 